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The other day for some reason I was staring at my soda can thinking about how cool the pop tab inventions was (i regularly think about things that don't matter) and I thought...Hey! That's technology, and voila!

Sara,
You make a great point. We take for granted many 'simple' items that require a large amount of 'engineering'. Think about the amount of pressure in that can (particularly during transit, as it is jostled). The 'pop top' must withstand that pressure within a defined tolerance and STILL be easy to open!
I, too, am awed by [seemingly] insignificant things.

Strings Of Light

When I was a child, the christmas tree we would find in the woods and set up on the 24th, had clip on holders to burn beeswax candles. An unforgettable aroma, the fresh tree and the candles. Today we use these. They are safe, and technology made it so, but it is just not the same.